Improved mode of altering flint-lock fire-arms to percussion



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

JAMES N. XVARD, OF UNITED STATES ARMY.

IMPROVED MODE 0F ALTERING FLINT-LOCK FIRE-ARMS T0 PERCUSSION.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,503, dated January 27, 1857.

To all whom it m/cty concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES NOBLE WARD, of the United States Army, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Mode of Changing Flint-Lock Fire-Arms to Percussion; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an outside view of lock with coneseat attached as I propose. Fig. 2 is an inside view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of, coneseat and adjacent portion of lock-plate. Fig. I is a sectional view showing cone, cone-seat, and connection of same with the barrel. Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of barrel, showing ball-recess in same.

Similar characters of reference in the several figures denote the same part of the firearm.

My invention is designed as a simple mode of changing flint-lock fire-arms to percussion. It consists in securing a cone-seat upon the lock-plate in the notch from which the pan is taken, in a manner hereinafter to be set forth, said cone-seat joining the barrel by a ball-andsocket joint through which the vent-passage runs, the details of construction being as follows:

In the drawings, P is the lock-plate, in the upper edge of which is a notch, whose bottom is the curve a, and whose front portion is the surface whose edge is shown at b, Fig. 2. This is the notch in which the pan is secured when the lock is adapted to the use of the flint. In converting the fire-arm from a flint-lock to a percussion I secure upon the plate I? aconeseat, S. This seat has two flanges, c and d,

which embrace the plate, while the surface 6 the curved surface a of the notch above mentioned. The notch in the cone-seat, made up of the two surfaces whose edges are shown by lines 172 and n, is made to fit under the inclined projection f of the lock, this notch eX- tending to the outside flange, c. Screws 9 and h are passed through flange c, the former into projection f of the plate and the latter through the plate and into flange (1. Around the ventpassage z in the side of the barrel B-is formed a recess, 1', whose bottom is elevated toward the center, so as to give it the appearance of spherical surface. \Vhen the lock-plate is in position, this recess receives a projection, Z, on the flange d of the cone-seat, whose face is turned out to fit upon the ball-bottom of the recess r, as shown in Fig. 4. The vent passes through the cone 0 and its seat, as shown in said figure.

To change flint-lock fire-arms t0 percussion, it will simply be necessary to remove the pan and secure the cone-seat in position, and form the recess 1- about the vent-passage. The hammer H is attached to the tumbler t in the ordinary manner.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Securing the cone-seat upon the lock-plate and making the contact of said seat and the barrel, substantially as set forth, for the purpose'specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

J. N. VAR? W'itnesses:

H. BOARDMAN, JOHN Brsnns. 

